Alios BioPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company located in San Francisco, California that is developing novel medicines that treat diseases in virology by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of both protein and small molecule therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.
Alios is discovering and developing novel antiviral agents based on three platform technologies including: small molecule activators of innate immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation), phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and glycoprotein-engineering of interferons (Glycoferon). This complementary group of platform technologies has the potential to generate a number of distinct therapeutic products to treat a variety of serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g. SARS).
At Alios, our science is the key to our success, and to improving patients' quality of life. Our pipeline of developing novel compounds and investigative therapies reflects our commitment to bring innovative products to patients with unmet needs in the areas of virology.
Responsibilities
Scientist, Analytical Chemistry
The position will provide analytical and purification supports to our medicinal chemistry efforts. Responsibilities include maintaining LC-MS and HPLC, analyzing chemical and biochemical materials, and conducting preparative HPLC purification. Responsibility may also include operation and maintenance of NMR, based on candidate’s previous experience. The incumbent will provide a technical leadership in analytical chemistry.
Requirements
Ph.D. in analytical chemistry or organic chemistry with 2+ years of postdoctoral experience, or MS in chemistry with 5+ years of experience in industrial setting.
Prior experience in operating and maintaining HPLC and LC-MS is required.
Experience in analysis and purification of nucleotides is preferred, but not required.
Experience in maintaining NMR is a plus.
The incumbent is expected to be detail-oriented and capable of handling multiple tasks in the area of analytical chemistry and purification.
Alios BioPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company located in San Francisco, California that is developing novel medicines that treat diseases in virology by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of both protein and small molecule therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.
Alios is discovering and developing novel antiviral agents based on three platform technologies including: small molecule activators of innate immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation), phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and glycoprotein-engineering of interferons (Glycoferon). This complementary group of platform technologies has the potential to generate a number of distinct therapeutic products to treat a variety of serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g. SARS).
At Alios, our science is the key to our success, and to improving patients' quality of life. Our pipeline of developing novel compounds and investigative therapies reflects our commitment to bring innovative products to patients with unmet needs in the areas of virology.
Responsibilities
Associate Director/Director, Assay Development Biochemistry
Lead Assay development and mechanistic Biochemistry efforts in several programs while staying active in the laboratory.
Manage external biochemistry projects at contract research organization(s).
Requirements
Ph.D. in relevant scientific discipline
10+ years of biochemical assays development with applications for drug discovery in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
Strong knowledge of enzyme kinetics and hands –on expertise in development of mechanism of action based inhibitors.
Demonstrated expertise in the field of structure based drug design as applied to viral polymerases is a strong plus.
Strong record of patent applications and scientific publications.
Self-starter, powerful innovator and energetic, personable scientist who is able to work collaboratively across different functional areas.
Nucleosides work by mimicking cellular nucleotides (the building
blocks of RNA and DNA) and inhibit RNA or DNA synthesis.A nucleoside is unphosphorylated and must
rely on cellular enzymes to attach phosphate groups to create active nucleotide
compounds.Nucleoside drugs often cannot
be given in combination since the two drugs in the combination would both need
to be phosphorylated inside cells and thus compete for the same enzymes.Alios scientists, working in collaboration
with the world renowned nucleotide chemist Harry Lundberg, Ph.D. at the University of Turku, have synthesized phosphate
protected nucleotide prodrugs, and have demonstrated that cellular enzymes can
metabolize the protected prodrugs into authentic nucleotide-monophosphate
analogs.
The first of these drug candidates is a phosphate protected nucleotide
prodrug directed against HCV. Utilizing the Alios proprietary phosphate
protected nucleotide prodrug chemistry, the company is advancing clinical
candidate compounds that have the potential to be given a substantially lower
doses compared to the nucleosides used thus far and may therefore avoid or
diminish the related toxicities previously seen.
Alios BioPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company located in San Francisco, California that is developing novel medicines that treat diseases in virology by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of both protein and small molecule therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.
Alios is discovering and developing novel antiviral agents based on three platform technologies including: small molecule activators of innate immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation), phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and glycoprotein-engineering of interferons (Glycoferon). This complementary group of platform technologies has the potential to generate a number of distinct therapeutic products to treat a variety of serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g. SARS).
At Alios, our science is the key to our success, and to improving patients' quality of life. Our pipeline of developing novel compounds and investigative therapies reflects our commitment to bring innovative products to patients with unmet needs in the areas of virology.
The
Position
This position will provide main receptionist and corporate administrative
support to staff members. The successful
candidate must possess excellent communication skills, both verbal and written,
be proactive, quick learner and excel as a team player.
Responsibilities:
• Effectively use Microsoft Outlook to manage calendars, resolve conflicts,
cancellations and calendar follow up as needed
• Anticipate and prepare necessary materials to enable successful meetings,
appointments, conferences and phone calls
• Coordinate and book travel and offsite meetings along with all other required
arrangements for the success of the event
• Contact external business partners as requested for information, scheduling
meetings or miscellaneous follow up; professional phone presence required
• Perform general clerical duties to include but not limited to: filing,
copying, scanning, faxing, mailing, FedExing and ordering of laboratory and
office supplies
• Answer incoming calls from company’s main phone line and direct callers as
appropriate; professional phone presence required; notify employees of guest
arrivals; escort visitors to appropriate senior staff members
• Create and modify documents primarily in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Establish and maintain effective hardcopy and electronic document
filing/management system
• Prepare expense reimbursements, check requests and reconcile credit card
receipts to billing statements
• Place food orders for occasional lunch meetings; room prep before and tidying
up after
• Prepare, compile, deliver, track and file regular reports
• Other duties as assigned
Qualifications and Requirements:
• 3+ years of progressive experience as an Administrative Assistant in a fast
paced corporate setting (interest in science is a plus)
• Top notch Microsoft Outlook capabilities; Strong working knowledge of
Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal and team
player capabilities
• Demonstrated ability to be proactive, use independent judgment, discretion
and maintain confidentiality
• Effective multitasking, attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Strong computer and internet searching capabilities
• Comfortable interacting with all levels of the organization
Alios BioPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company located in San Francisco, California that is developing novel medicines that treat diseases in virology by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of both protein and small molecule therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.
Alios is discovering and developing novel antiviral agents based on three platform technologies including: small molecule activators of innate immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation), phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and glycoprotein-engineering of interferons (Glycoferon). This complementary group of platform technologies has the potential to generate a number of distinct therapeutic products to treat a variety of serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g. SARS).
At Alios, our science is the key to our success, and to improving patients' quality of life. Our pipeline of developing novel compounds and investigative therapies reflects our commitment to bring innovative products to patients with unmet needs in the areas of virology.
Responsibilities:
This is a hands-on, nucleoside
specific synthetic chemistry position. The person at this position is expected
to independently conduct synthesis of new chemical entities, including design
of efficient synthetic routes and chemical structure assignments by NMR and MS
spectra.
ONLY candidates with experience in
synthesis ofnucleosides and nucleotides
will be considered.
Requirements:
Ph.D. in synthetic organic or
medicinal chemistry with 2+ years of experience in synthesis of nucleosides and
nucleotides.
Strong publications record
(including patents) and demonstrated ability solving challenging synthetic problems
Application Process
Please
send a cover letter and resume to . When you
respond, please type “Scientist I/II, Nucleoside Chemistry” in the SUBJECT
box
Alios is discovering and developing novel therapeutic agents based on
three platform technologies including: small molecule activators of innate
immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation), phosphate protected
nucleotide prodrug chemistry, and glycoprotein-engineering of interferons
(Glycoferonâ).This complementary group of platform technologies has the potential to
generate a number of distinct therapeutic products to treat a variety of
serious viral infections such as chronic hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, and
respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g.
SARS).
Traditional
approaches to antiviral therapy have utilized agents that directly inhibit
viral encoded enzymes. Although quite successful, traditional direct antiviral
approaches have significant challenges.Since the direct antiviral therapeutic approaches target viral encoded
proteins, these medicines have a limited spectrum of activity and are often
only effective against one type of virus. The second challenge is the emergence
of drug resistance.In most cases,
monotherapy of any direct antiviral agent will lead to drug resistance.This is the reason that antiviral agents of
different mechanisms are combined.Finally, in order to use a direct antiviral agent, a clear diagnosis of
the infecting virus must be made and thus emergent viruses are often difficult
to treat until direct antiviral agents can be produced.This can take years to accomplish.
Alios is taking a novel approach to virology by utilizing activation
of a component of the host innate immune system (RNase L) to create
broad-spectrum antiviral agents. The Alios small molecule activators of innate
immunity work by binding to an enzyme called RNase L.RNase L is present in most human cells and is
naturally activated during viral infections following cellular stimulation by a
protein hormone called interferon. Once activated, RNase L goes on to destroy
viral RNA genomes and thus blocks the virus from reproducing.
In the second platform program, Alios scientists have discovered a way
to create improved versions of existing antiviral agents called nucleosides.
Nucleosides work by mimicking cellular nucleotides (the building blocks of RNA
and DNA) and inhibit RNA or DNA synthesis.A nucleoside is unphosphorylated and must rely on cellular enzymes to
attach phosphate groups in order to create active nucleotide compounds. Alios
scientists, working in collaboration with the world renowned nucleotide chemist
Dr. Harry Lundberg, Ph.D. at the University
of Turku, have
synthesized phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and have demonstrated that
cellular enzymes can metabolize the protected prodrugs into authentic
nucleotide-monophosphate analogs.
RNase L is a protein that is activated by a chemical called 2’-5’
oligo A.This chemical is synthesized by
cells after stimulated with a protein hormone called Interferon following a
viral infection and comprises a major component of the innate antiviral
response.Once activated by 2’-5’ oligo
A, the RNase L protein, in turn destroys viral RNA genomes, which results in a
blockade of viral replication.In
addition, the byproducts of the degradation of viral RNA stimulate the
production of local Interferon, thus amplifying the antiviral pathways of the
innate immune system.
Alios and The Cleveland Clinic have entered into an exclusive
collaboration to discover and develop certain RNase L activation technology
developed by Cleveland Clinic scientist, Robert Silverman, Ph.D., a leading
expert on the RNase L system.Under the
collaboration, Alios has exclusively licensed worldwide rights to a broad array
of issued target patents encompassing RNase L as well as patent applications
for small molecule activators of the enzyme.Alios is also funding specific research projects in Dr. Silverman’s
laboratory.Several of the Alios
compounds have demonstrated antiviral activity in cell-based models of viral
infection for both RNA and DNA viruses with no cytoxicity over a range of doses
with antiviral effects.The Alios lead
small molecule activators of RNase L will target Hepatitis C virus as the first
indication.
Alios BioPharma, Inc. Completes First Closing of
Series A Financing with Commitment of $24 MM from 3 Top-Tier Investors
South San Francisco,
CA – February 12, 2009 –Alios BioPharma, Inc. announced today that it has concluded
the first closing of its Series A preferred stock financing with a commitment
from new investors of $24 million. The first tranche of $8.4 million has been completed,
led by Novo Ventures and Novartis Ventures with participation from the Roche
Venture Fund. Jack B. Nielsen, Novo Ventures,
will serve as its Chairman of the Board. Also joining current members Raymond F.
Schinazi, Ph.D., D.Sc. and Lawrence M. Blatt, Ph.D. on the Alios Board of
Directors is Campbell Murray, M.D., Novartis Ventures and Carole Nuechterlein,
Roche Venture Fund. will sit as an observer.
“We look forward to working closely with
our new investors and members of the Board of Directors to build our company
and successfully develop our pipeline," said Lawrence M. Blatt, Ph.D.,
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Alios. “Several viral diseases remain
difficult to treat and represent areas of significant unmet medical need.We view the Alios product candidates as a
complementary approach to existing antiviral therapies where the complexity of
these diseases requires treatment with multiple agents with differing
mechanisms of actions.”
About Alios BioPharma
Alios BioPharma,
Inc., an emerging biotechnology company headquartered in South San Francisco,
California, is developing novel medicines to treat diseases in virology by
activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the
development of small-molecule and protein therapeutics, each addressing major
commercial market opportunities.
Ernest Borden, M.D.
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Practicing Oncologist with >20 years research and clinical trials experience with immunomodulatory therapy in cancer
Eleanor Fish, Ph.D.
• University of Toronto
• Immunologist, infectious diseases specialist and expert in activation of immune effector cells such as NK cells
Michael Gale, Ph.D.
• University of Southwest Texas
• Virologist and expert on viral host interactions as they relate to innate and adaptive immunity
Raymond Kaempfer, Ph.D.
• Hebrew University
• Immunologist and bio-defense expert with large basic science effort aimed at modulation of innate immunity
Robert Silverman, Ph.D.
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Immunologist and expert in Interferon signaling cascade and discoverer of RNase L pathway
Bryan Williams, Ph.D.
• Monash University
• Immunologist and expert in Interferon signaling cascade and Toll-like receptor pathways
Jack Nielsen – Chairman of the Board Jack Nielsen, Partner, joined Novo A/S in 2001 and is
located in San Francisco, CA.
From 1990 to 2001 Mr. Nielsen held various positions in the Novo Nordisk
business area which in 2000 became Novozymes A/S. Before joining Novo Ventures,
Mr. Nielsen was for four years deeply involved in designing the R&D
strategy for Novozymes’ activities in the cereal food area, resulting in the
development and launch of novel recombinant lipase and amylase enzymes. Jack
has furthermore been involved in collaborations with Procter & Gamble,
Danisco, and Quest International to identify new enzymes for the detergent and
cereal food industry. Prior hereto, he held positions in marketing and
technical services in the textile and personal care area, and started his
career in the field of large-scale manufacturing of enzymes.
Mr. Nielsen serves on the board of directors of Cell Biosciences, Inc.,
MediQuest Therapeutics, Inc., Protein Forest, Inc., Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
and NeoMend, Inc., and he is a former director of Panacos Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., Nuevolution A/S, and CardioOptics, Inc.
Jack Nielsen obtained his MSc in 1990 from the Technical University of Denmark,
and his Master in Management of Technology from the Center for Technology,
Economics and Management in Copenhagen in 2000.
Dr. Campbell Murray, MD. – Board
Member
Dr. Murray is a Managing Director of the Novartis Venture Funds in Cambridge,
MA, USA.
Prior to joining the venture fund in
2005, he worked at the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research as the
director of special projects reporting to the president & CEO. Campbell, is
a trained physician, Kauffman Fellow and holds an MBA with distinction from
Harvard Business School and an MPP (public policy) from the John F. Kennedy
School of Government where he was a Knox Fellow and Rotary Ambassadorial
Scholar. Dr Murray serves as a director on the boards of Aileron Therapeutics,
Akebia Therapeutics, BioRelix, and ProCertus BioPharm and as an observer on the
board of MicroCHIPS and Tepha.
Kent
Gossett, DVM, Ph.D. - Board Member Dr. Gossett is a Partner of SR One in Conshohocken,
PA, USA.
Kent
joined SR One in 2003. He is a member of the Board of Directors of CalciMedica
and Locus Pharmaceuticals and an Observer for Scynexis Pharmaceuticals. He was
previously Director of Protez Pharmaceuticals, Algeta ASA, and Alere Medical
and Observer for Morphotek. Kent has 20 years experience in the
pharmaceutical industry in safety assessment, drug development, business
development and venture capital. Kent received his DVM and MS from Purdue
University, his PhD in Veterinary Clinical Pathology from Louisiana State
University, and his MBA from the Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania.
Peter
Hirth, Ph.D. – Board Member
Dr.
Hirth co-founded Plexxikon in December 2000, and has 20 years of biotechnology
and pharmaceutical discovery and development experience. Previously, he was
president of Sugen, Inc. until the sale of the company to Pharmacia Corporation
in 1999. At Sugen, he helped build the company from its inception and advanced
several kinase inhibitors through clinical trials for the treatment of
oncology. Prior to Sugen, Dr. Hirth was a vice president in research with
Boehringer Mannheim where, among other responsibilities, he successfully led
the company's erythropoietin program. Previously, he also was a research
scientist with the Max Planck Institute, following the completion of his post
doctoral work at the University of California, San Diego. Dr. Hirth received
his Ph.D. in molecular genetics from Heidelberg University, Germany.
Lawrence Blatt, Ph.D., MBA – President & CEO
• 23 years of industrial scientific and drug development experience
• Amgen Inc., National Genetics Institute, Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals and InterMune
Leonid Beigelman, Ph.D. – VP Medicinal Chemistry
• 20 years experience in medicinal chemistry with specific expertise in nucleotide and nucleoside chemistry. Expert at medicinal chemical structure informed library generation
Alios is discovering and developing novel therapeutic
agents based on three platform technologies including: small molecule
activators of innate immunity antiviral pathways (RNase L activation),
phosphate protected nucleotide prodrug chemistry, and glycoprotein-engineering
of interferons (Glycoferonâ).This complementary group of platform
technologies has the potential to generate a number of distinct therapeutic
products to treat a variety of serious viral infections such as chronic
hepatitis B and C, HIV infection, and respiratory viruses (e.g. pandemic
influenza) and emerging viral diseases (e.g. SARS).
Traditional approaches to
antiviral therapy have utilized agents that directly inhibit viral encoded
enzymes. Although quite successful, traditional direct antiviral approaches
have significant challenges.Since the
direct antiviral therapeutic approaches target viral encoded proteins, these
medicines have a limited spectrum of activity and are often only effective
against one type of virus. The second challenge is the emergence of drug
resistance.In most cases, monotherapy
of any direct antiviral agent will lead to drug resistance.This is the reason that antiviral agents of
different mechanisms are combined.Finally, in order to use a direct antiviral agent, a clear diagnosis of
the infecting virus must be made and thus emergent viruses are often difficult
to treat until direct antiviral agents can be produced.This can take years to accomplish.
Alios is taking a novel approach to virology by
utilizing activation of a component of the host innate immune system (RNase L)
to create broad-spectrum antiviral agents. The Alios small molecule activators
of innate immunity work by binding to an enzyme called RNase L.RNase L is present in most human cells and is
naturally activated during viral infections following cellular stimulation by a
protein hormone called interferon. Once activated, RNase L goes on to destroy
viral RNA genomes and thus blocks the virus from reproducing.
In the second platform program, Alios scientists
have discovered a way to create improved versions of existing antiviral agents
called nucleosides. Nucleosides work by mimicking cellular nucleotides (the
building blocks of RNA and DNA) and inhibit RNA or DNA synthesis.A nucleoside is unphosphorylated and must
rely on cellular enzymes to attach phosphate groups in order to create active
nucleotide compounds. Alios scientists, working in collaboration with the world
renowned nucleotide chemist Dr. Harry Lundberg, Ph.D. at the University of Turku,
have synthesized phosphate protected nucleotide prodrugs, and have demonstrated
that cellular enzymes can metabolize the protected prodrugs into authentic
nucleotide-monophosphate analogs.
Alios BioPharma, Inc. is a biotechnology company located in South San Francisco, California that is developing novel medicines that treat diseases in virology by activating pathways in the innate immune system. Alios is pursuing the development of both protein and small molecule therapeutics, each addressing major commercial market opportunities.
